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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · land · lash · bay · tear · cue · board · stem

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. land — a country
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — to come down
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com